The Albanese government will call curtains on the “one size fits all” approach to employment services in once-in-30-year reforms aimed at ensuring one million Australians can get the “right support at the right time”.
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth is expected to announce the most significant reforms to Workforce Australia in decades when she fronts the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday morning.
Ms Rishworth is expected to tell the National Press Club reforms to Workplace Australia, which is accessed by one million Australians every day, will end “the one-size-fits-all approach to servicing”.
“In its place, we are creating three distinct, high-quality, service streams, offering different intensity of supports, depending on an individual’s distance from the labour market,” she will say.
“The second change is the introduction of effective, fair and proportionate mutual obligations, that are reflective of an individual’s distance from the labour market and are designed to actually help people get a suitable job.”
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth is expected to announce the most significant reforms to Workforce Australia in decades. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
Ms Rishworth will say the existing one-size approach pushes people into unsuitable jobs and that while the government supports mutual obligations, designed to ensure applicants remain engaged with the job hunt, they needed to be “fair, proportionate, and above all, effective”.
The government will also seek to overhaul the assessment and triaging process, Ms Rishworth will say.
The change will ensure “barriers to employment are identified early and jobseekers are matched with the right supports from day one”.
“And fourth, we are introducing a new planning tool so participants can identify and work towards their own employment goals, as well as overcome their specific barriers,” she will said.
“Much of the design detail under this framework will be worked through in the coming months in consultation with the sector.
“Our government is committed to delivering an employment services system that is focused on what matters most: helping people into work.”
‘Individualised support’
Ms Rishworth will claim Workforce Australia Online, which was created by the former Morrison government, rather than providing personalised assistance, “is simply a compliance management tool for people to acquit their mutual obligations and access the Employment Fund”.
“Of course, some people do find a job while in Workforce Australia Online,” she will say.
“But often, that’s because they found that job on their own – not because of the limited support available to them.”
Ms Rishworth will claim the lack of “individualised support” means too many people languish on the online service for the 12 months maximum, before being automatically referred to a provider.
“For many people, that could be a wasted year with no real progress towards employment, making it harder to then get a job,” she will say.
“Whereas other participants are seeking out provider-led services that are more intensive than they actually need, because there is so little support available through the online platform.”
Currently, the Albanese government spends about $2bn per year on the employment services system.
The reforms will be funded through a $312m allocation as part of the 2026-27 budget.
A discussion paper and expert advisory group will also support the reforms, alongside targeted consultation with jobseekers, employers, providers and communities.